Determined to ensure that residents of Enugu enjoy adequate water supply, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration has awarded a contract of N165 million to Ovamann Pumps Limited to maintain and rehabilitate, under emergency situation, the facilities at Ajali and Oji River Water Treatment Schemes to supply enough water to Enugu metropolis.

The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Charles Egumgbe, disclosed this when he led a delegation of the management of the ministry in company of the Managing Director of the state’s Water Corporation, Engr. Chidozie Eze to inspect the projects, which are ongoing.

Addressing the contractor, Kevin Ifegbuike, who was at work at the sites with his staff, Chief Egumgbe said that the government team was on an inspection visit following the directive of the governor that the projects be monitored closely to ensure that they are delivered according to specifications and the terms of the contract.

The Commissioner disclosed that the Ajali and Oji River Treatment Plants which have about 60,000-70,000 cubic meters of water was currently having 20,000 because of the age of the facilities that have spanned over 40 years, saying that “at the end of the day, we may be expecting all together about close to 70,000 cubic meters of water per day”.

He expressed optimism that the people of the state, particularly those in Enugu metropolis will begin to enjoy adequate water supply at the end of the rehabilitation, adding that the state government has long-term plans to expand the campaign to benefit other parts of the state, “when the foreign loan facilities must have matured”.

Chief Egumgbe charged the company to ensure that the specifications and the terms of the contract were carried out to the letter, stating that the state government will hold the contractor liable, if there is any breach.

“We want to admonish the contractor to ensure a very efficient and strict performance and that is the essence of the ministry appointing a special body to supervise this job so as to ensure that the terms of the contract are adhered to for the benefit of all in the state. It is only when this feat is achieved that the people would have heaved a sigh of relief, courtesy of our governor’s intervention”, the commissioner said.

Responding, the contractor handling the projects, Ifegbuike, thanked the state government for the confidence reposed in the company and reassured that they will deliver the job efficiently and to the satisfaction of the governor and the people of the state, who he said are waiting desirously for adequate water supply.

The contractor explained that the company is presently working on the mechanical aspect of the rehabilitation of the pumping machines “that are completely damaged”, disclosing that the equipment for the electrical part of the work had been ordered and will soon be delivered to sites for installation to beat the four months time-lag for the projects.

“I know that everybody is waiting for us. We are happy to be in a team that is working for His Excellency, the Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. His good thinking and measures to give the people of Enugu good water are outstanding, and I know this time around he is going to be satisfied and Enugu people will be satisfied too.

“Majority of the work we are doing right now is mechanical because the engines are bad, the electrical parts which we have ordered, very soon will be coming in for the installation of the control panels and we start pumping. As stipulated in the contract papers we will not default”, the contractor assured.